Mowrer honored for making his mark on Bethlehem's Main Street

Bethlehem officials pay tribute to ex-mayor and his vision of returning Main Street to its historic roots.

February 19, 2013|By Nicole Radzievich", Of The Morning Call

Bethlehem in the 1970s was at crossroads.

City leaders had worked for more than a decade to restore old buildings on and around Main Street — from the stone Colonial-era settlement of the early Moravians to the opulent mansions of Bethlehem Steel's titans.

But they also were dazzled by modern trends of superblocks glistening with big offices and department stores in buildings with clean lines, so-called urban renewal. Should such new buildings arise to anchor their Main Street, replacing old and quaint Victorians, some too run-down to recognize their gorgeous architectural bones?

The city's young mayor, Gordon Mowrer, decided those old bones were worth mending. He set Bethlehem on a course to return to its historic roots, a decision championed by leaders after him that eventually transformed the city into a bustling tourist destination lauded by the country's top preservationists.

"I took a walk down Main Street and thought the one thing we have to sell downtown here is our history," Mowrer recalled Tuesday as he stood on the street to be honored for his vision.

"It worked not just because I believed in it, but others who came after me did. It worked because the merchants, the property owners and everyone wanted it. … Now, just look, I've never seen Main Street busier in my entire life."

Nearly 75 community leaders turned out on a rainy afternoon to recognize Mowrer as the "Main Street Mayor" with a formal dedication of a waist-high brick wall at the corner of Market and Main streets.

The wall includes a bronze plaque and image, noting that Mowrer saved the city's heritage from the wrecking ball, and a time capsule of student essays and other mementos to be opened on the city's 300th birthday.

The wall faces the new bricked intersection complete with an inlaid granite star, a symbol of the public-private partnership that Mowrer credits for keeping Main Street's historic feel.

When he took office in 1974, Mowrer hired a planner with a historic preservation background and consultant to help the city capitalize on its history. He ushered in Victorian lighting and slate sidewalks on Main Street, mimicking the architectural details that the historic district so diligently aimed to preserve on its buildings.

Michel R. Lefèvre, a longtime state historic preservationist, said in a telephone interview that Bethlehem's plan in the 1970s was not to live in its past but to build a future appreciating its past. While the city had the first historic district in the state in 1961, Lefèvre said the city's investment in period public infrastructure — like Mowrer's Victorian lighting — was the turning point in Bethlehem's returning to its historic identity.

"It was extraordinary foresight," said Lefèvre, a private consultant outside Harrisburg. "There was an attempt in Bethlehem at the time to go the way other cities were going with [urban renewal], and Bethlehem realized it wasn't going to work."

Mowrer left the mayor's office in 1977 after one term, but never really left the public spotlight. A Moravian pastor, he was entrenched in civic organizations and served the city when it needed him. City Council put him back in office in 1987 as an interim mayor, and in 2004 he rejoined City Council, an elected seat he held until he retired last year.

But most city leaders agree that Mowrer will be most remembered for his vision for maintaining the past.

Mayor John Callahan praised Mowrer for his ability to "see things from many points of view."

"This was no more evident than in the time he spent during his term as mayor listening and understanding the issues that our downtown faced in the 1970s," he said.

Historic Bethlehem President Charlene Donchez Mowers said Main Street shows how the city evolved once the Moravians opened up the cloistered religious community. Tourists can literally walk up the 21/2 blocks and see the types of architecture evolve from the late 18th to early 20th centuries, she said.

The downtown is in a National Historic District and brushes alongside a 14-acre district — notable for its early Moravian heritage — that was named this year a National Historic Landmark.